Stan Lee

Stan Lee, the biggest name in comic-book history if you don't count the heroes and villains, got his own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame Tuesday as fans and friends cheered. As a writer and editor, Lee had a hand in the creation of hundreds of heroes and villains. Collaborating with artists such as Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko, John Romita and John Buscema he gave the world the modern mythology of Marvel Comics with Spider-Man, the Hulk, the Fantastic Four, Iron Man, the X-Men, Thor, the Silver Surfer, Daredevil, the Avengers, Doctor Strange and Nick Fury.

Well, hello, Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone! "The Amazing Spider-Man 2" castmates and lovebirds stepped out together during a photo call at Sony Pictures Studios on Saturday in Culver City. While their film doesn't hit theaters until May 2, the pair made an appearance with costar Jamie Foxx, who plays supervillain Electro in the upcoming flick, and members of Big Brothers and Big Sisters. They took pictures as a twosome, with Foxx and with the kids. PHOTOS: 50 most beautiful female celebrities The last time they made an official red-carpet appearance together was about six months ago for opening night of "Brits Off Broadway: Bull.

My comic book tastes ran to Classics Illustrated. Seriously, what's scarier than the graphic images of "Crime and Punishment" and Raskolnikov -- the existential "superman," not the caped one -- whacking the pawnbroker with an ax? Can I, then, hold my own with Spider-Man's spiritual father, Stan Lee, a genius of comics for 70 years? The progenitor of scores of graphic heroes and villains, "starred" on the Hollywood Walk of Fame this year, he's huge at the summer box office, with "Thor," then "X-Men: First Class" and, due out in July, "Captain America: The First Avenger.

Dominic Purcell of "Prison Break" stars in "Vikingdom" as Eirick, king of Jomsborg. Exiled since his death and miraculous resurrection, Eirick is on a quest to prevent Thor (Conan Stevens) from opening the gates of Valhalla and connecting the earth with heaven and hell. Yes, that would be the same Thor character assumed by Chris Hemsworth in various Hollywood Marvel tent poles. The god of thunder turns villainous here, but that doesn't mean "Vikingdom" is any less removed from Norse mythology than is Stan Lee's take.

If you want to do brunch with comic book impresario Stan Lee, it will cost you -- right now about $1,550. That's the current minimum bid for a shot at attending a VIP brunch at the Catalina Film Festival on May 5 with the co-creator of Spider-man, the Hulk and a slew of other famous characters. The winning bidder gets a seat at the table and other cool stuff, including passes to the film festival in Avalon on Catalina Island, two autographed comic books and ferry tickets to get there and back.

BEST T-SHIRT: "Team Edward" but with a picture of Edward Scissorhands, Johnny Depp old-school version of a brooding, cinematic heartthrob with blood splatter issues. MOST UNEXPECTED REVELATION: John Stevenson, director of " Kung Fu Panda," stopped a panel discussion on imagination and creativity to launch into a long ode to Mike Mignola, the creator of "Hellboy," who looked both flattered and then a bit uncomfortable at the lengthy valentine. Stevenson said his office wall was adorned with "Hellboy" images during the making of "Panda," each of them a reminder of artistic integrity and attention to craft.

Stan Lee, creator of such comic book superheroes as Spider-Man and X-Men, has signed an exclusive content deal with Burbank-based Walt Disney Co. Under the multiyear agreement, Walt Disney Studios gets first shot at films, TV shows, books and video games devised by the 84-year-old Lee and his company, POW! Entertainment. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Look -- up in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's ... Ringo? Yes, the former Beatle has teamed with Stan Lee, the creator of "Spider-Man," "The Incredible Hulk" and other comic-book superheroes, for an animated series with Starr as the star. It is expected to be released on DVD early next year. The drummer will voice the character of Ringo Superhero, described as "an evil-battling, Earth-saving (though reluctant) superhero with a great sense of rhythm."

Stan Lee Media Inc., an Internet and multimedia entertainment company founded by legendary "Spider-Man" co-creator Stan Lee, has sued San Francisco firefighter Stanley Lee in a domain name and trademark battle. Stan Lee Media, which has domain names http://www.stanleemedia.com and http://www.stanlee.net, is using the Web to present its interactive comic book and action-hero entertainment products, according to the suit.

Peter Paul, who co-founded Stan Lee Media Inc. with Spider-Man creator Stan Lee, on Thursday settled a Securities and Exchange Commission lawsuit accusing him of manipulating the company's stock. Paul, without admitting wrongdoing, agreed to refrain from future securities law violations and not to serve as an officer or director of a public company, the SEC said in a statement.

"Marvel Comics: The Untold Story" performs an act of what superhero comics fans might term "retcon" - or retroactive continuity - by returning to the beginning of the superhero industry and telling the tale again with a number of previously invisible heroes suddenly added to the story: the men and women who created superhero comics. Superhero comics has always been a bit of an oddball, a niche genre with a small but fiercely devoted fan base and a penchant for stories about flawed, outcast heroes who struggle not only to save the world but find their place in it. Sean Howe's book traces the byzantine histories of the colorful characters on the comics pages and in the Marvel offices, from the inception of the superhero in the 1930s through the modern era, and finds the real and the fictional equally laced with epic triumphs, tragic reversals of fortune, backstabbing and melodrama.

This post has been updated. See below for details. Stan Lee Media, an Internet company that shut down more than a decade ago and has been mired in litigation ever since, has filed a multibillion-dollar lawsuit against Walt Disney Co. The complaint was filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Colorado, where Stan Lee Media -- co-founded by the famous Marvel Comics writer, who is no longer an officer of the company -- is headquartered....

SHANGHAI — Hollywood and Chinese film veterans eager to take part in the world's fastest growing movie market gathered in this historic city to kick off the 15th annual Shanghai International Film Festival. China's movie ticket sales rose 30% last year to $1.2 billion, and a lot of those tickets were sold for American movies. Hollywood films accounted for about three-quarters of the ticket sales in China in the first three months of the year. Ticket sales also topped those in Japan for the first time, making China Hollywood's biggest export market.

SHANGHAI - "Spider-Man"creator Stan Lee's first Chinese superhero, "The Annihilator," topped the inaugural slate of feature film co-productions announced Monday by state-run National Film Capital. NFC, a Beijing-based entertainment industry fund management company chaired by former China Film Group President Yang Buting, will draw on an initial 2.6-billion yuan ($422 million) raised by the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China and other partners, NFC co-founder Kathy Peng, a former investment banker in Hong Kong, said.

If you want to do brunch with comic book impresario Stan Lee, it will cost you -- right now about $1,550. That's the current minimum bid for a shot at attending a VIP brunch at the Catalina Film Festival on May 5 with the co-creator of Spider-man, the Hulk and a slew of other famous characters. The winning bidder gets a seat at the table and other cool stuff, including passes to the film festival in Avalon on Catalina Island, two autographed comic books and ferry tickets to get there and back.

Stan Lee Media Inc., an online media company founded by comic book creator Stan Lee, said it filed for bankruptcy protection and will try to sell itself. The Encino-based company has had discussions with several potential buyers and investors since mid-December, Chief Executive Kenneth Williams said. Most said they preferred to complete any transaction "under the protection of the courts," he said.

Stan Lee, creator of Spider-Man and the Incredible Hulk, is updating his pantheon of superheroes with--what else?--an Internet twist and a new stock listing. Lee, who originated some of the most profitable comic book characters, took his new company, Stan Lee Media, public on Monday in a move to gather support for a flashy assault on the Net and the printed-comics industry.

My comic book tastes ran to Classics Illustrated. Seriously, what's scarier than the graphic images of "Crime and Punishment" and Raskolnikov -- the existential "superman," not the caped one -- whacking the pawnbroker with an ax? Can I, then, hold my own with Spider-Man's spiritual father, Stan Lee, a genius of comics for 70 years? The progenitor of scores of graphic heroes and villains, "starred" on the Hollywood Walk of Fame this year, he's huge at the summer box office, with "Thor," then "X-Men: First Class" and, due out in July, "Captain America: The First Avenger.

Stan Lee, the biggest name in comic-book history if you don't count the heroes and villains, got his own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame Tuesday as fans and friends cheered. As a writer and editor, Lee had a hand in the creation of hundreds of heroes and villains. Collaborating with artists such as Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko, John Romita and John Buscema he gave the world the modern mythology of Marvel Comics with Spider-Man, the Hulk, the Fantastic Four, Iron Man, the X-Men, Thor, the Silver Surfer, Daredevil, the Avengers, Doctor Strange and Nick Fury.